Point of Deception part I
by Babylon2260
Summary: The Enterprise crew encounter a seemingly primitive race who claim their arrival is the result of an ancient prophecy. But as they become more acquainted with the natives, they discover the prophecy is actually a conspiracy to exploit the Federation. R&R
1. Prologue

**"Point of Deception"** Part I of II

A TNG fanfiction

Based on Star Trek: The Next Generation created by Gene Roddenberry

**Prologue**

_Come on, Tasha. Just a little further..._

It wasn't that she was a bad swimmer. No; Lieutenant Yar was an excellent swimmer. And she would have been better if she could see which way she was going. She held her breath as she pushed herself through viscous, inky-black water. She could not tell which way was up or down. It was becoming more and more difficult to hold her breath in. Sooner or later she would have to let it all out. Terror gripped the young Starfleet lieutenant as she searched in vain for the surface...for that precious fresh air to breathe in.

Then she saw it.

The light.

_Air!_

She kicked hard, heading for the surface, toward that light. That precious light.

Then she felt something coil around her ankle and yank hard. She felt the thick, black water fill her nose and mouth as she was dragged down...

_No!_

She pushed with her feet and shot to the surface. Her head broke the water and...

"Lieutenant Yar, please report to the bridge."

Lt. Natasha Yar gasped in shock as Captain Picard's voice jerked her from her dream. She sat up in bed and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. She had been having similar dreams lately, of drowning in murky water, or some variation of it. She had been thinking of talking to Counselor Troi about it, but kept putting it off, dismissing it as just a result of nerves.

She stumbled out of bed and hastily changed into her uniform. If the captain needed her this badly that he had to call her during her down time, something was definitely wrong.

A few minutes later, Tasha stepped onto the bridge and relieved Lt. Shay from the Tactical console.

"You all right, Chief?" he asked.

Tasha wiped her forehead again. "I'm fine, Lieutenant. Thank you." She dismissed him from duty with a small, subtle gesture. Captain Picard stepped out of his ready room onto the bridge.

"Mr. Data, report."

"Ship is of unknown origin, sir," Lt. Cdr. Data replied. "Warp signatures appear to be originating from the Telavi system."

"The Telavi system?" Tasha asked. "That's just on the border of Cardassian space. It could have been a Cardassian ship-"

"It's different from any ship we've encountered, Lieutenant," Commander Riker said. "Mr. Worf, show her what we found."

Tasha turned to the console behind her. Lt. Worf showed her a schematic of a strange ship that the Enterprise had apparently encountered only moments before. "This ship dropped out of warp a few minutes ago," he told her. "We are unable to determine who it belongs to."

Tasha took a good long look at the ship's schematic. "It could be a race we haven't encountered yet," Tasha answered finally. "That's the only explanation I can give. I mean, look at this design!" She pointed at the ship's hull. It was an odd shape, almost like a scarab beetle. The warp nacelles protruded from the sides, just where the 'shoulders' would have been. It had a very streamlined design, as if built for speed and maneuverability. "It looks like some sort of tactical ship, with a size and shape like that," Tasha continued. "How fast was it going?"

"Ship was traveling at Warp factor 1," Data answered.

"Warp 1? That's it?" Tasha asked. That was a strangely slow speed for a ship of that design. Maybe it was just patrolling the system...

"Sir, ship approaching from aft side, bearing 182 mark 3," Data said. "Warp factor 1."

Something rushed past the viewscreen. Tasha could just barely make out the shape.

It was the same ship from the schematic.

"Looks like they're heading home," Lt. LaForge said. "They're following the exact same route their warp signatures were making on their way here."

"Mr. LaForge," Captain Picard said, "Lay in an intercept course for that ship. Maintain Warp factor 1. We don't want to overtake them."

"Aye, sir."

Picard turned to Commander Riker. "It looks like we will be making another first contact, Number One."

"Course laid in, sir," Lt. LaForge said.

"Engage.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_**Captain's log, stardate 41403.2**__  
><em>_The Enterprise has encountered a ship of unknown origins, and has been tracking it for the past few hours. It has led us to the Telavi system on the border of Cardassian space. We are unsure if this is a new class of Cardassian ship, or if it a completely different species altogether. The ship's warp signatures have led us to a class-M planet where we assume the ship originated._

Data furiously worked the controls at his console. "Sir," he finally said, "It is difficult to get any definitive readings from the planet's surface. There are electromagnetic fluctuations in the planet's atmosphere, possibly originating from the planet itself."

"Any life signs?" Commander Riker asked.

"I am picking up life signs," Data answered, "But they are scattered and few in number. The planet's population appears to be less than one million."

"It could be a colony world," Lt. Geordi LaForge suggested. "We are pretty close to Cardassian territory."

"My readings cannot pick up any advanced technology," Data replied. "According to these readings, there are no industrialized areas on the planet's surface."

"They could be hiding here," Tasha suggested. "They could be using this planet as a cover or a secret base for experimental spacecraft-"

"But we don't know if this is an experimental ship or not," Riker answered. "Considering Data's readings, this planet is probably still in the dark ages. No industrialized areas..."

"Then what is a warp-capable ship doing on a planet like this?" Captain Picard asked. "Mr. Data, have you located the ship?"

"The ship was last seen along the coast of the western continent before the EM fluctuations began to interfere with our tracking system," Data answered.

"The perfect hideout," Picard said to himself. "Number One, take an away team and search for that ship. There is a likelihood that this could be another first-contact mission. I want to make sure these people actually built this warp-capable ship before we officially meet them."

"Aye, sir," Riker said. "Data, Lt. Yar, you're with me. Anything we need to know before we beam down?"

"Yes," Picard said. "It would be best to keep out of sight of the natives. We don't want to contaminate their culture unless they really did build that ship."

"Aye sir. Yar, Data, meet me in Transporter Room 3 in half an hour."

"There you are, Chief!"

Tasha ignored Lt. Shay as she made her way to Transporter Room 3.

"Chief, I have news from Starfleet..."

"Maybe later, Shay. I have an away mission."

"But Chief," Lt. Shay said. "You told me to let you know whenever we get word on the new transfers."

Tasha stopped. "I did, didn't I?" she said. "But can it wait?"

"Well," Shay said, "I thought this was important because..." he paused, just to get the look on the security chief's face. He grinned. "We're getting another girl on the Tactical team. Her name's-"

"Lieutenant Marisa Hernandez from the USS Harding. Yes, I've already seen the reports, Shay. Thanks for letting me know. Now if you'll excuse me..." Tasha stepped into the turbolift.

"Wait! You're not excited about having another girl on the Tactical-"

"Goodbye, Shay. Deck 6!" The turbolift doors closed on Lt. Shay's protests.

Lt. Yar joined Riker and Data in Transporter Room 3. The three of them were dressed in dark gray excursion uniforms and boots. Riker's uniform had a single burgundy command-division stripe along the shoulders, while Tasha's and Data's had a gold ops-division stripe.

"Sorry for the delay, Commander," Tasha said. "I got held up." She stepped onto the transporter alongside her comrades.

"The electromagnetic fluctuations are making it difficult to set coordinates for the transporter beam," Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien said. "There aren't many locations to choose from where the fluctuations are minimal. But there is one close enough to the coastline where I can have you beamed down safely enough."

"Will we be able to communicate with the Enterprise?" Riker asked.

"We'll have to wait and see when you get down there. Lt. Worf will be tracking the three of you in case we need to beam you out."

Riker nodded. "Energize."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tasha felt the familiar rush of the transporter beam as the room dissolved in a flurry of silvery sparks. Her vision swam as Transporter Room 3 was replaced by thick jungle underbrush. The air felt damp and humid, as if it had just stopped raining. Tasha quickly checked herself to make sure she had made it to the planet's surface in one piece. Thankfully, the transport was successful. She turned to see Data and Riker standing a few meters away. Data had promptly taken out his tricorder and begun scanning.

"The tricorder's maximum scan radius is limited to twenty meters," Data said. "There are no other life signs in the area."

"Good," Riker said. "How far are we from the coast?"

"Unsure, sir," Data answered. "EM fluctuations are making it difficult for the tricorder's sensors to read past twenty meters." The android closed his tricorder and exchanged a glance with Riker. "There is no knowing how far from the coast we have landed."

Riker sighed and tapped his comm badge. "Riker to Enterprise," he said.

There was no response.

"Riker to Enterprise, do you read me?"

Still no response.

Tasha tried her own comm badge, but with the same result.

"It looks like the EM fluctuations have created a natural dampening field around the planet's surface," Data said.

"Will we be able to beam out?" Tasha asked.

"Uncertain, Lieutenant," Data answered. "We were beamed down to a point on the planet's surface that had minimal EM fluctuation. If we are unable to contact the Enterprise from here, there is a chance they might not be able to communicate with us either. The ship's sensors were having difficulties picking up life signs earlier."

"So there's a chance we might be stuck down here?" Tasha asked.

"Not unless Lt. Worf is able to track us," Riker said.

"Which could be difficult..." Data continued

"Depending on how bad the EM fluctuations are," Riker finished.

"In other words," Tasha said, "we're stuck down here until somebody sends a search team. Great. Just great."

Data looked confused. "I do not see what is so enjoyable about being stranded here, Lieutenant."

"She was being sarcastic," Riker said.

"Sarcasm...how intriguing," Data said thoughtfully.

"Can we focus on finding that ship, gentlemen?" Tasha said irritably.

"Right. Mr. Data, what's our bearing?" Riker asked.

Data opened his tricorder again. "The ship was said to have landed close to the western coast of this land mass. If we head due west, we should be able to reach the coast in a timely manner." He turned the tricorder and pressed a few buttons. "We should be heading...this way." The android began to make his way through the underbrush, motioning Riker and Tasha to follow.

"At least this planet has a magnetic pole," Tasha said grimly. "Wait. Commander, did he say how far from the coast we are?"

"O'Brien to bridge," Chief O'Brien said. "Transport has been successful."

"Good work, Chief," Captain Picard said. "Mr. Worf, make sure you are able to track them."

"Aye sir," Worf answered. "They are located approximately 25 kilometers from the ship's last-seen position and currently moving due west."

"All three of them?"

"Two life signs and a positronic signature."

"Excellent. Lieutenant Shay, see if you can contact them."

"Aye sir," Lt. Shay said. He pressed a few buttons on the Tactical console and furrowed his brow in confusion. "Sir, I can't seem to contact them. There must be a dampening field or something down there that's making it difficult to communicate with them." He tried again and shook his head.

Picard began to look worried. "Mr. Worf, continue to track them. Don't let them out of your sight. I will be in my ready room."

"Aye sir, but it will be difficult."

"I'll continue trying to contact them," Shay said. "I'll see if I can adjust the frequencies to compensate for the fluctuations."

Picard nodded. "Make it so. I want to be able to communicate with the away team as soon as possible."

"Aye sir."

Picard stepped into his ready room, leaving Worf and Lt. Shay to keep their eyes and ears open for the away team.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"How much further, Mr. Data?" Riker asked.

Data punched a few buttons on his tricorder. "We are getting closer, sir. The level of humidity in the atmosphere is higher here than it was at our starting location."

Tasha rolled her eyes. "You said that about an hour ago," she said irritably, "and we still haven't seen any signs of any coastline. I think we're going in circles!"

Riker sighed and shook his head. With each passing hour, Tasha had grown more and more irritable, just enough to make Worf seem cuddly. Apparently, she was bored from the extensive amount of walking they had been doing for the past few hours.

Just then, Data came to a stop and put his tricorder away.

"Sir, you might want to have a look at this..."

Riker and Tasha pushed some shrubbery out of the way and joined Data at the edge of a cliff overlooking a magnificent vista of the western coastline. Steep, jagged green mountains ringed a cove of sapphire-blue sea nearly three-hundred feet below. The Telavian sun peeked between silvery-gray clouds in the late afternoon sky.

Tasha's voice broke through the awed silence. "So how do we get down?"

Riker exchanged a glance with Data. Good question.

"The ship could be hidden beneath the surface," Tasha continued, "possibly right underneath us."

"Are you suggesting the ship is in some hidden cave here?" Riker asked.

Tasha flashed him a look of annoyance. "Well, let's see...if I were the commanding officer of a warp-capable ship, and I decided to land on a pre-warp-civilized planet, I would certainly find a place to hide my ship. Wouldn't you?"

Riker nodded. The tactical chief had a point. "Let's just focus on getting down there first," he said, "and then we can search for the ship. Mr. Data, see if you can find any signs of the ship from here."

"Aye sir," Data answered. After punching a few buttons, he shook his head. No luck.

Tasha motioned toward a narrow clearing to their right. "That looks like a way down," she suggested.

"It could be a long walk," Riker said, a slight smirk on his face. It was obvious Tasha was tired of hiking.

"I can handle it," Tasha snapped.

"Any luck, Lieutenant?" Picard asked.

"No sir," Lt. Shay said, scratching his head. "The EM fluctuations seem to keep changing randomly. Every time I try to compensate, I keep hitting dead ends."

"Sir, the away team has reached the coastline," Worf said.

"Thank you Mr. Worf," Picard said.

Lt. Shay ran a hand through his dark brown hair. Adjusting the frequencies did not work...maybe if he could get engineering to help find a way to neutralize the dampening field on the surface...it sounded like a possibility. He would have to ask Lt. LaForge to help him out.

"Sir, permission to use engineering?" Lt. Shay asked. "I think I have an idea."

The pass Tasha had found was not an easy walk. The ground was slick with mud from constant rain and moisture, and it was rather steep. Data had to catch Tasha on more than one occasion to keep her from slipping and falling.

It was very late evening by the time the three of them had decided to take a rest. They set up a makeshift camp in a clearing not too far from a thin strip of beach.

Tasha tried to contact the Enterprise again, but with no luck.

"Damn it, we need to find some way to communicate with the Enterprise," she snapped. "Any suggestions?"

"Did you bring a probe?" Riker asked.

"No," Tasha said.

"How about flares?" Riker asked.

"Um, no..."

Riker smirked. "Can you start a fire?"

Tasha's face lit up. "Yes!" she said.

Riker stood up. "Well, good! Because I'm going to go get some firewood, and you can get a campfire going. Mr. Data..." he motioned for Data to start setting up camp.

Tasha's expression changed from hopeful excitement back to exasperation. "That wasn't funny, Commander," she said.

"I do not see the humor in that either," Data piped up.

"Thanks, Data," Tasha said. At least somebody agreed with her.

The away team had agreed to rest for the night and wait until morning to continue their search. Tasha and Riker were curled up close to the fire, while Data kept watch, as he did not require sleep.

Tasha could not sleep. True, she was tired from walking all those miles, but for some reason, she could not get herself to relax. Her senses felt sharper than usual; she could hear every little noise in the underbrush, every little crackle from the campfire, every snore from Riker...

She shifted uncomfortably until she was facing the campfire again. Data noticed she was still awake.

"Is something troubling you, Lieutenant?" he asked.

Tasha sat up. "No, not really," she answered. She crossed her legs and stared across the campfire at Data, and asked, "Do you ever have the feeling like somebody is watching us?"

Data cocked his head. "I am not capable of experiencing such emotions. I-"

"Sorry," Tasha said, cutting him off. "I forgot." She dug out her own tricorder and began to scan the area.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking for life forms," Tasha said. "I've got a feeling there's something out there."

"Paranoia can be associated with lack of sleep, Lieutenant-"

Tasha closed her tricorder. No life forms save for a small furry creature sleeping in one of the trees above them. The tactical officer slumped back down and curled up close to the campfire like a cat. She could have sworn there was something out there watching them.

"Goodnight, Data," Tasha said tersely. It would be a miracle if she would even be able to fall asleep tonight.

"Goodnight, Tasha. Sleep well."

_I wish,_ she thought as she turned over and shut her eyes.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Neutralize the dampening field?"

"You heard me, Geordi. I've tried everything," Lt. Shay said. "I've tried adjusting the frequencies to compensate for the fluctuations..."

"But that didn't work," Lt. LaForge finished. The young African thought for a moment. "Hmm...if I was down on the surface with the away team, I'd probably be able to figure it out more easily," he said.

"But the transporter only works for certain areas on the planet's surface..."

"Because the EM fluctuations interfere with the transporters and sensors," Geordi finished again, "thereby making it impossible to beam anywhere on the planet."

Lt. Shay scratched his head. "I wonder if those areas of minimal fluctuations are in random locations, or if there's a certain pattern to them."

"Chief O'Brien said there aren't that many," Geordi said. "We'll have to ask whoever's on Ops to do a full scan of the planet for EM fluctuation patterns."

"That would be Worf," Shay said. "He's already keeping track of the away team."

"I'm sure Worf can multi-task," Geordi said. "Anyways, I've got a hunch these EM fluctuations aren't random."

"Maybe," Shay said. He stared for a moment at the warp core, its cool blue light pulsating throughout the engineering hall. "I'm just worried about the Chief."

"The chief?" Geordi asked. "Oh you mean Tasha."

"Yes. I got a report from Starfleet giving us a heads up on new transfers."

"Let me guess," Geordi said. "Somebody's getting replaced?"

"Actually, Lieutenants Ramos and Thyriss from the tactical team are being replaced. They're transferring to the USS Endeavour when we dock at Starbase 12 next month. The new transfers are from the USS Harding, and one of them is a girl."

"Oh, I see," Geordi said. "A little company for Tasha."

"Yeah, I tried catching the chief on her way out this afternoon to tell her the good news, and she told me she already knew," Shay said.

"That's Tasha for you," Geordi said. "You shouldn't worry too much about her."

"Well, with all this trouble communicating with the away team, I'm just worried we might not be able to get them back," Shay said. "I know the chief will want to meet the new transfers...I know Hernandez will be excited on meeting the chief."

Geordi looked up. "You know one of the new transfers?"

"Yeah, the girl, Marisa Hernandez. We were in the same graduating class."

Geordi nodded. "I see."

After a brief pause, Shay said, "I should probably go tell Worf to do that full scan of the planet. I'll let you guys down here know what we've found."

Tasha Yar woke to the sound of boots crunching on the ground. She sat up and saw Data putting out what was left of their campfire.

Data looked up and noticed Tasha was finally awake. "Good morning, Lieutenant," he said in his usual androidian good-natured tone of voice.

Tasha yawned, stretched and ran a hand through her messy blond hair. "Morning Data," she grunted. She was surprised she actually slept. "Where's Riker?"

"He went for a walk on the beach," Data answered. "He said you are welcome to join him if you would like."

Tasha stood up and brushed the dirt off her uniform. "He continued on our journey without the rest of us?" she said, a note of sarcasm in her voice.

Data cocked his head. "He did not say he was continuing the mission without us, Lieutenant."

"I was being sarcastic," Tasha said as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'll be right back."

Data cocked his head. There was that sarcasm again...

Commander Riker had removed his boots and was wading barefoot in the shallow water on the beach. The waves gently crawled up onto the shore, only to recede a moment later, leaving soft whitish-gray mud squishing between his toes.

With beaches like this, one could have set up a resort-the weather was perfect, the sun was warm, the breeze was cool and gentle. _All that was missing were the women..._

"Hey, what's the big idea sneaking off like that?"

_All right, maybe scratch that last part._"I didn't sneak off, Lieutenant. The camp's right there," Riker said. "Sleep well?"

Tasha shook her head. "I'm a light sleeper," she answered.

"Well, hopefully we'll find that ship before dark today," Riker said. "I'm not one to sleep in the dirt."

"Me neither," Tasha said. Her gaze drifted out over the sapphire-blue ocean that stretched into the horizon.

"Are you all right?"

Tasha snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, sorry. I just...have you ever dreamed that you were drowning?"

"Once," Riker said. "I was drowning in the pool at the Academy in mine. Of course, I was really bogged down with my schoolwork at the time. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing...I just had a really disturbing one the other night, that's all. Probably nerves."

"Maybe you just need to take a few days off, Lieutenant," Riker said.

"Maybe..."

The both of them turned to see Data approaching them.

"Shall we press on?" Riker asked.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lt. Worf punched a few buttons on his console in desperation. "Sir, I have lost track of the away team."

Captain Picard swore under his breath. "Where were they last?" he asked.

"They were heading north, following the coastline," Worf answered.

"They must have gone underground or something," Lt. Shay suggested.

At that point, Lt. LaForge stepped out of the turbolift, followed by Dr. Crusher's son Wesley. "Captain, I think we got something," Geordi said. He motioned for Picard, Worf, and the others to join him at the Sciences console. The screen lit up, revealing a map of the planet's surface. Blotches of color were scattered across random areas on the map.

"You see these colored areas? These regions are where the EM fluctuations are the highest," Geordi said. "Coincidentally, those happen to be areas where the altitude is the lowest."

"The EM fluctuations are the highest at sea level," Lt. Shay observed. "We just lost them a few seconds ago while they were walking along the beach." He glanced over at Worf, who said nothing.

"There's something else," Wesley chimed in. "We were looking through these readings, and we found something really bizarre." The boy paused, knowing that what he was about to say would probably sound so far-fetched, that the crew wouldn't believe him.

"The planet itself is giving off _bioelectric_signatures."

"So which cave do we take?"

The beach had ended abruptly, leading the away team to a huge cliff face overlooking the sea. Numerous caverns pockmarked the rocky wall before them.

"None of these look big enough to house a ship that size," Tasha said.

"Mr. Data, are there any caverns on the other side of the cliff?" Riker asked.

Data took another look at his tricorder. "No sir. None. Just these. However, the caverns we see before us are interconnected, similar to a naturally-occurring labyrinth."

"How complex is this labyrinth?"

Data punched a few buttons on his tricorder, squinted and shook his head. "Unknown, sir," he said. "The tricorder's maximum scanning range is now down to ten meters."

"It's these EM fluctuations," Riker said. "There's probably a wide open space somewhere in those caves where they could have stashed that ship."

"How?" Tasha asked. "These entrances are too small."

"There could have been an opening, like a sinkhole or something, on top of that cliff that they could have lowered the ship into the caverns somehow." He noticed Tasha's incredulous expression. "Just a thought, Lieutenant."

Tasha shrugged. "Well in that case, if these caverns are interconnected, we shouldn't have a problem getting lost," she said. She stepped into the nearest cave's mouth and motioned the other two to follow.

The water was ankle-deep. The roar of ocean waves echoed along the walls of the cavern. Tasha ventured ahead, using her tricorder light as a flashlight. It was not long before they had ventured far enough inside the caverns that they lost the sunlight.

The echoes every droplet of water made as they dripped into the water along the floor suddenly made Tasha shudder. She thought back to her nightmare of drowning. It would be awful to die down here, in the dark, murky water...

"Is something wrong, Lieutenant?"

Data's voice brought Tasha out of her thoughts. "Um...just watch your step," she said. "It gets a bit slippery here. There are some loose rocks..."

Tasha felt her heart pound against her chest. _Loose rocks, ankle-deep water, dank tunnels..._she was suddenly reminded of the colony planet on which she spent her childhood. She, her sister and some other children would hide out from the rape gangs in the sewers, in the cold, wet blackness, daring not to move a muscle, lest they make a splash and alert them to their presence. Tasha remembered the cramped spaces in which she sometimes had to crawl to get away from them when that did happen...

She wiped her hand over her face, noticing that she had started sweating.

"Are you sure you're all right, Tasha?" Riker asked.

"I'm fine," Tasha said, trying to keep her voice level. Her drowning nightmare was coming back...the water felt deeper here.

"Careful," Riker said. "There's a hole right..."

_Splash!_

"Ahh!"

"Tasha!"

"I'm okay," Tasha said. "The hole's kind of deep, though." She began to dog-paddle toward the other side. The other two followed close behind.

"Hey, the ground is a bit higher over here," Tasha said. _What a relief..._She pulled herself onto the ledge and sat down. Yes, the ground felt so nice and dry...

"Any reading on that ship yet?" she asked as Riker and Data hoisted themselves onto the ledge.

Data checked his tricorder. It was a miracle it was still working. He shook his head. "No sign of any ship," he answered.

Tasha cursed under her breath. She stood up and motioned for her companions to follow her. The light from her tricorder was starting to grow dim. They had to find that ship soon.

"We need to be very careful here," Riker said after about a minute of walking. "This doesn't sound like a very safe part of the caverns."

"Quite right, Commander," Data said. He stopped and ran his free hand over one of the rock walls. "These rocks must have fallen here recently."

"Well, we'll just have to be careful where we're stepping," Tasha said. "Data, you go first, since your tricorder seems to be working fine. Mine's almost dead."

"The composition of the rock here is different from that closer to the entrance," Data continued as he squeezed past Riker. Tasha thought she saw some sand fall from the low ceiling as Data squeezed between her and the wall.

"Data..."

"This rock is made of some kind of sedimentary rock that is softer and less-"

"Data! The ceiling's caving in!" Tasha shouted. Sure enough, the sand began to trickle down steadily. Tasha and Riker sprinted past Data, who was still reading off his tricorder. Riker turned around, grabbed Data's sleeve and forced him to run with the rest of them. Tasha was a few meters ahead running blindly.

Then it happened. The ceiling just ahead of Riker and Data was beginning to collapse as well.

"TASHA!"

Tasha turned around. She saw the ceiling begin to collapse. "Come on, guys!" she shouted. She continued running forward. Suddenly, the ground disappeared beneath her feet. She toppled forward and felt her forehead hit the ground before blacking out completely.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Tasha! _TASHAAAA!_" Riker shouted, trying to haul some of the fallen rubble out of the way. "Data, help me out here!"

Data began to heft some of the bigger rocks away. "Sir, considering the length of time it took for the tunnel to cave in, there is a chance Tasha might not—ˮ  
>Riker silenced Data with a wave of his hand. "Mr. Data, I don't even want to think about it."<p>

Tasha slowly opened her eyes. She found she was lying on her side in a huge cavern. A few slits of sunlight came in through crevasses in the high ceiling. How did I get here? She wondered. She moved her head to one side to get a better look at her surroundings.

It was then that she heard voices.

Tasha heard two voices whispering to each other, but she could not make out what they were saying. She turned her eyes to see a pair of bare feet walking toward her. She looked up to see a tan-skinned figure with long black hair standing over her in the dim light. The figure crouched down to have a better look at her. Tasha began to sit up.

Pain lanced from Tasha's shoulder. She cried out, clutching it and lying down on her back. She ground her teeth and screwed her eyes closed. She suddenly remembered the cave in; she remembered rushing ahead, losing her footing and falling down a rather steep slope before hitting her head on a rock.

The figure crouching over Tasha said something in a raised voice. A moment later, a second, slightly taller figure had joined the first one. The second figure touched the first's shoulder, speaking as if he were urging the other to leave Tasha. The first figure, a female, brushed the male off, speaking in a scolding voice.

Tasha was sure her translator was broken…either that, or the language these two were speaking was not programmed into the universal translator.

The female looked very young, somewhere in her early to mid-teens. She was short, yet slender, with tan-skin and long, straight black hair, and brilliant purple eyes. Her long ridged ears traced her jawline, ending in fine points like those of a dog or bat. She was wearing a simple tunic and trousers, with what looked like a quiver for arrows slung over one shoulder.

The male looked like he was in his late teens to early twenties. He was slightly taller than the female, with similar features, except his long hair was tied in a single ponytail. He was armed with a spear, and glowering at his companion.

The girl leaned forward and grabbed Tasha's wrist. Tasha suddenly felt calm and relaxed, as if she were lying down in a soft bed instead of a pile of rocks. She instinctively shut her eyes and slowed her breathing.

Then, without warning, she felt the girl's hand push downhard on her shoulder. Tasha's eyes opened wide and she cried out as an excruciating pain shot through her arm, and then…

…the pain was gone.

She sat up and rubbed her shoulder. That girl had put Tasha's shoulder back in place!

But what was that calming sensation? _How did that girl do that?_

Tasha faced the young alien girl. The girl smiled and nodded at Tasha.

"Nei-shai so-li-k'ah?"

Tasha shook her head. "What?"

The girl leaned forward and placed her index and middle fingers on the bridge of Tasha's nose and whispered something in her native tongue. She slowly drew her two fingers across until they straddled Tasha's nose, almost as if they were going to poke her eyes out. An instant later, images flashed through Tasha's vision...

_Her childhood on Turkana IV...classes at Starfleet Academy...bringing Captain Picard to the Enterprise on the Galileo shuttle...Q judging Picard, Deanna Troi, Data and herself...their encounters with the Ferengi and the crystalline entity..._

As suddenly as they began, the images ended. The girl had removed her hand from Tasha's face. She stared at Tasha for a long time. The male broke the silence with an impatient remark.

_CRASH!_

A rock had fallen away from one of the walls behind them. The two alien people turned around to see a hand poke through the hole it just made.

"Tasha?"

The male grabbed the young female's arm and began to run. The girl gave one last glance at Tasha before following her companion into the darkness. Tasha picked herself up and tried to follow them.

"Hey wait a minute!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "Who are you?"

"Tasha, where are you going?" Riker's voice mingled with her own echoes.

Tasha did not stop. She had to know who these people were...she did not know why. "Come back!" she shouted. She thought she saw them scrambling over the rocks in one chamber and tried to climb after them.

"Tasha!" This time it was Data's voice.

A beam of sunlight shone at the end of the chamber. Tasha sprinted across and squeezed through a crevasse, leading her to the open air.

She stopped. The exit had led her to a river, where a massive waterfall roared only meters away from where she stood. Her gaze followed the river, only to find more dense forest ahead.

"Jeez, Lieutenant. What's the big idea running off like..."

Riker and Data had followed Tasha outside. The commander stopped short just as he noticed the waterfall. It was a few moments before he found his voice again.

"So how do we get down?"


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Bioelectric signatures?"

"Yeah, see?" Wesley tapped a few controls on the console. "There's something..._alive_, or organic or something hiding under the planet's surface. But it's pretty close to the core, so the away team shouldn't be in too much trouble," he added, noticing the worried look on the captain's face.

"Maybe it's just some strange geothermal power source," Geordi said. "That was our first guess. We don't even know what's down there."

"Sir, away team is appearing on sensors!" Worf exclaimed. He was again seated at Ops.

"Where are they now?" Picard asked. He peered at the sensor reading with a confused look on his face.

The away team was miles from the coastline. _How did they get there?_

"Who were those people?" Tasha asked.

"What people? Lieutenant, you didn't run into any natives, did you?"

Tasha ran her hand over her shoulder. She expected to feel something broken, but did not. "They just found me," she said. "I remember waking up with a dislocated shoulder, and one of them just...healed me."

"They?" Riker said. "How many were there?"

"Just two," Tasha said.

"Please tell me you didn't talk to them, Lieutenant."

Tasha shook her head. She did not want to talk about her experience with the telepathic girl to Riker.

"Looks like we're going to have to climb down," Tasha said, hastily changing the subject.

"Sounds like a plan," Riker said. "Data, you go first. Lt. Yar, you follow me."

The climb down was excruciatingly hard. The rocks were especially slippery; it was not long until Tasha lost her footing and slipped, crashing into Riker. Riker caught her, but the force of the impact caused the both of them to fall and crash into Data. The three of them fell a few meters before landing in the water. Tasha resurfaced first and swam to shore. Riker swam after her.

"Watch your step, Lieutenant," he said teasingly as he climbed onto shore next to her.

"Where's Data?" Tasha asked. The both of them suddenly exchanged a worried glance and ran back into the water.

"Oh no! Data's going to drown!"

"He's not going to drown, Lieutenant," Riker said. All the same, he sounded worried too. Taking a deep breath, Riker dove beneath the surface. He came back up a few seconds later, shaking his head.

"I can't find him."

Tasha's eyes widened. She took a breath and went under.

The water was rather deep. The waterfall made things even more difficult to see. Tasha made a few strokes, trying to swim deeper. She saw a glint of gold on a rock barely a meter below her. She reached down, picked it up, and resurfaced.

"Data's comm badge."

This was not good. Tasha and Riker both submerged and began to frantically search the riverbed.

_Data, where are you?_Tasha's drowning nightmares came flooding back to her.

_No…_

She resurfaced and looked around, hoping the android had already made it to shore. It did not look like he did. Treading the water, she turned a faced the waterfall.

Riker resurfaced next to her. "No sign of him yet?"

"No," Tasha said. "But do you think he's under the waterfall?"

Riker wiped some water out of his face. "It's a possibility," he said.

"Good. Follow me," Tasha said. She took another deep breath and went under. The falling water pounded against them as they swam underneath it. Tasha's ears filled with water, but she did not care. They had to find their missing comrade.

The waterfall was bigger than she had thought. The pounding water never seemed to end. She pushed herself onward, hoping she was heading in the right direction. She would have to resurface soon. She began to feel her lungs protesting as the heavy water continued to beat down on her back.

_No! I'm not going to drown. I can't drown…not now…_

The water finally became still and shallow. Tasha put her feet down and found she could stand up again. Riker resurfaced a ways behind her. They found themselves in a huge, yawning cavern.

"Data!"

The android was standing there, soaking wet and surrounded by a handful of natives armed with spears.

Tasha and Riker froze as some more natives appeared out of the semi-darkness brandishing their weapons at them.

"Hehe, spears…"


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Well, this is some welcoming committee,_Tasha thought to herself as she, Riker and Data were surrounded by a group of spear-wielding natives.

"Tasha," Riker whispered. "How many do you think there are?"

"I'd say fifteen," Tasha whispered back. "We're up against bronze-age weaponry. I think we can take them."

"Set your phaser to stun," Riker whispered.

Before Tasha could reach for her phaser. One of the natives pointed at her and began speaking in rapid gibberish. Some of the others lowered their weapons and began to whisper amongst themselves. A burly-looking native (whom Tasha assumed was their leader) motioned the away team to follow.

The three of them were led deeper into the cavern. They reached a subterranean river, where a small skiff was waiting for them. Tasha stared down into the black depths of the river, remembering her spill into the cavern lake earlier that morning. She sat down next to Data, making sure to leave some room for Riker. Riker sat down next to her, eyeing his surroundings with apprehension. One of the natives stood behind them and, taking a long pole, began to punt the skiff downstream.

"Excuse me," Riker finally said. "I am Commander William Riker of the USS _Enterprise_." He paused. The natives in the skiff with them did not seem to be listening. "We are searching for a ship that we believe has landed here. Would you be willing to help us?"

One of the natives leaned forward and gave Riker a hard stare. "Tsahl-kye-yah-noh."

Riker exchanged a glance with Tasha. She shook her head and shrugged. "I guess he told you to be quiet." No one else was speaking.

Minutes passed in silence. No one spoke even after the skiff finally came out into the open air. Tasha's and Riker's expressions of astonishment were enough.

A huge, magnificent city lay before them, straddling a crystal clear river. Hundreds of natives walking along the edge stopped to stare at the strange newcomers.

"Commander," Tasha whispered to Riker. "This city didn't show up on the sensor readings, did it?"

Riker shook his head. "None of this."

"The dampening field must have hidden this city from our sensors," Data said. "I do not recall seeing this either-"

"Shh!" One of the natives hissed at Data. The android immediately stopped talking.

The skiff finally docked at the end of the canal, and the away team was ordered to follow the guards further into the city. The central plaza was teeming with people. The natives all had the same tan skin, straight black hair, purple eyes and long ridged ears. They were wearing a variation of blue, purple and green clothing, some wearing beads around their necks or in their hair.

Tasha, Riker and Data followed the guards to a huge structure that resembled a temple and waited. A few minutes later, a female dressed in an ornate purple cloak stepped into the sunlight and approached the away team. She was flanked by two guards.

She spoke to them in a surprisingly soft and subdued voice. "I am Tensis Prytheri, chieftainess of the Modaiin tribes. Who are you, and why are you here?"

Riker sighed and stepped forward. There was no way they were getting out of this. "I am Commander William Riker of the USS _Enterprise_. These are my companions, Lieutenant Natasha Yar and Lieutenant Commander Data."

"Enterprise?" The chieftainess asked. "Where pray is that?

"The Enterprise is our ship. It is in orbit around your planet," Riker said. "We are searching for a ship that may have landed here, and wish to speak with the people who operated it. Would you be willing to help us?"

The chieftainess turned to her guards and spoke to them in a whisper. One of them turned and reentered the temple-structure behind them.

"The last ship that arrived in this city was a trade ship from the Kernoon tribes to the south of here," she said.

"Not an airborne ship?" Tasha said. "We were searching for a _flying_ship."

"A flying ship?" Tensis asked. "Why would anyone need one?"

Tasha shut her mouth. Apparently these people had no idea what she or Riker were talking about.

At that point, the guard came outside again, this time with a young girl with him. The girl stopped when she approached the chieftainess, and bowed deeply. Tensis placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and faced the away team.

"My daughter, Perseia," Tensis said. "She claims she met one of you already."

Riker turned to Tasha, whose face was a brilliant shade of red.

"I...she found me in one of the caves not too far from here," Tasha said, stepping forward. "I was injured, and she healed me."

"But she also read you."

"Read...?" Tasha assumed the woman meant that her daughter had read her mind. How else could she have explained why she was having those flashbacks?

"Yes. In doing so, she found out how to speak your language. She was chastised for otherwise invading your mind, and I beg forgiveness on her behalf."

Tasha turned her gaze to the girl, who was now looking at the ground in embarrassment. She nodded. If it meant breaking the language barrier, then there was really nothing wrong with what this Perseia had done.

"The day is getting late," Tensis said. "I am sure the three of you are tired from your journey here. Our inns will accommodate you for tonight. But since you have no business with us, you are to leave tomorrow. We do not have what you seek."

"Thank you, chieftainess," Riker said. "We will be sure to respect your wishes."

The chieftainess motioned for one of her guards to accompany the away team to the nearest inn. Tasha glanced back. Tensis was already returning to her duties, but Perseia stood there, staring back at Tasha. The girl opened her mouth to say something, but held back. Tasha could not help but notice that she looked like she wanted to say something important but could not in her mother's presence.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Well, that was pleasant," Tasha said after the three of them were given a place to stay for the night.

"On the contrary, Lieutenant," Data said. "Their leader did not seem very welcoming."

"Sarcasm, Data," Tasha reminded him. "I know they didn't seem so welcoming."

"At least they were sincere about it," Riker said. "At least we're not sleeping in the dirt tonight."

The commander was right. Tasha grabbed the first mattress she could find, threw it on the floor and flopped down. A whole day and a half of travelling and they still had not found that ship. The young lieutenant was beginning to think they were on the wrong planet...

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, my lord. A female and two males."

A thin, pale-skinned figure stood bent over a page of an ancient book, its reed-fiber pages worn and browned with age. He pushed a wavy lock of dark brown hair away from his face as he turned to a page with the inscription he was looking for.

"Tell me, boy. What did they look like?"

The young man swallowed hard. He knew he would get in trouble for consulting the high priest one way or another. "One of the males was really tall with dark hair. He called himself "commander". The other male was very pale-skinned and he moved very stiffly. The female-"

"Had hair like the sun and eyes like the ocean?" the high priest interrupted.

"Yes, my lord."

He smiled. His gaze turned from the inscription on the page to an identical one on the chamber wall. So the prophecy was true!

The high priest closed the book and placed it back on its pedestal before moving on to a stone altar. The top of the table was painted in the likeness of the city and the surrounding forests. Tiny stone figurines lay scattered across the map; some were in the likenesses of people, others animals, others trading ships and caravans.

And one that resembled a spaceship. The high priest picked it up.

"This is what they were looking for," he said.

The young man nodded. He knew he was in big trouble.

The high priest turned to the young man, his pale violet-colored eyes glinting in the dim light of the shrine. "I would prefer if they stayed a little longer here," he said. He picked up a tiny figurine of a reptilian hunting animal and placed it close to the outskirts of the city. "Your mother is foolish to dismiss them."

_Thunk._

Tasha opened her eyes. Something must have hit the wall outside. She turned over and shut her eyes.

_Thunk._

There it was again. It sounded like it hit the shutter covering the window to their room. She quietly got up and sneaked over to the window, careful not to wake Riker, who was snoring. Data was lying on the floor with his eyes closed, doing whatever the android equivalent of sleep was.

She cautiously pushed the shutter outwards and peered out onto the street. She saw a short, skinny figure standing there, poising to throw something.

_Thud._

Tasha opened the shutter all the way and poked her head out. "What do you want?" she asked, trying not to raise her voice and wake the whole room.

The figure stepped forward. It was Perseia.

"Sorry to wake you," she said in a quiet voice. "But I have questions for you, and you are not leaving this city until they are answered."

Chapter 10

_Why in the hell am I doing this?_Tasha thought as she sneaked out of the room and outside. She had made sure she had a phaser with her in case something happened. She stepped into the cool, slightly humid night air.

"Your name is Tasha, right?"

Tasha turned around. Perseia was standing behind her. "Yes," she said. "Tasha Yar."

"Tah-sha-yahr," the girl repeated. "I've never seen your kind before. Where are you from?"

"Uh..." Tasha said. She had no idea where to start. These people were a pre-warp civilization. How could she explain anything to this girl? "Well, for starters, I came from a long way away."

"How long?"

"If I told you exactly how long, you wouldn't believe me."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

Tasha sighed. She would have to improvise. "I came here on a starship from a place called Earth."

The girl squinted in confusion. "Earth? Starship?"

"Yes, a ship...one that travels through space, among the stars," Tasha said. She noticed the girl's blank expression. "I told you you wouldn't believe me."

Perseia looked up at Tasha. "You mean, you came from the stars?" she asked. Tasha nodded. Perseia then pointed to Tasha's head. "Is that real?"

"What?"

"Your hair."

Tasha ran a hand through her blond hair. "Yes, it's real."

"Can I touch it?"

"What? Why?"

The girl reached up and took a handful of Tasha's hair, tugging lightly. Tasha tried to hold back a giggle. This girl was just too curious, wasn't she?

Perseia let go of Tasha's hair and said, "Legend has it that one of the gods had gold hair like yours. They came from the stars too."

Tasha raised an eyebrow. "Did they say where they were from?" she asked.

"Nobody questions the gods," Perseia answered. "Only the priests can do that. They're the only ones with the answers."

"Is your mother one of them?" Tasha asked.

Perseia shook her head. "My brother Khaya is training to become one. You've seen him already; he was with me back in the caves when we found you."

"May I ask what you were doing there?"

Perseia was silent for a moment. "We were out hunting. Our hunting party split up, and my brother and I ended up running into you."

"I see," Tasha said.

"You said you were looking for a ship," Perseia said. "A..._flying_ship?"

"Yes," Tasha said. "One that travels through space, like ours."

Perseia looked confused again. "We don't have one," she said. "Some people have been trying to build flying machines, but they don't stay in the air for very long, nor do they fly high enough to reach the stars."

"Well, have you seen anything..._unusual_...in the sky lately?"

The girl shook her head. "No..."

"No one has seen anything unusual in the sky," a male voice said. Tasha and Perseia turned around to see a male native striding toward them.

"Khaya! What are you doing here?" Perseia asked.

"Mother sent me to look for you," he snapped. His eyes met Tasha's. "What are _you_doing out here?" He asked.

"Your sister had some questions for me," Tasha said.

"Perseia!" Khaya shouted. He switched to his native tongue and began to scold her. The girl hung her head.

"I'm sorry, Tah-shayar," Perseia said. "I must go. I shouldn't have awakened you."

"That's all right," Tasha said.

Khaya took his sister's arm and motioned for her to come with him. He turned to Tasha and pointed at her. "You stay away from my sister," he warned.

Morning came without much fanfare. Riker looked unusually cheerful, and Data seemed a little more eager than usual.

"We aren't leaving yet?" Tasha asked when Riker told her his plan. "But Tensis told us to leave today."

"Of course she did. But she didn't say _when,_" Riker said, beaming.

"Commander, I don't think sight-seeing is a good idea," Tasha said.

"We will have left the city by midday," Data assured her. "Most of what is to see we have already seen yesterday."

"Just the temple," Riker said. "I have a hunch the ship is here somewhere within the city."

"So we're going to search the city for the ship?"

"Precisely, Lieutenant," Data said. "It would be best if we start in the center of the city and work our way outwards."

"Wait, are you suggesting we split up?"

"No," Riker said. "We're staying together. The innkeeper didn't seem too friendly, so it's best if we keep together."

Data activated his tricorder. It was a wonder it was still working. A map appeared on the tiny screen.

"This is a rough layout of the city's design. It is circular in shape, with the temple complex directly in the center. The river runs directly through the middle of the city and flows underneath the temple complex before cutting through the city again."

"We should explore that temple further then," Tasha suggested.

"That would not be advisable," Data said. "If we are to respect the natives here, it would be best to leave the structures they deem sacred alone."

"Besides," Riker added, "we don't want to make them mad."

"So where do we start then?" Tasha asked.

Data enlarged a small portion of the map. "Commander Riker suggests we begin here, in this sector of the city..."


End file.
